On Tuesday, November 20, 2018, during an official ceremony, Iran has unveiled a new 4x4 armored mine-resistant ambush-protected (MRAP) personnel carrier (APC) nicknamed Toofan, manufactured by the Iranian Defense Industry. At the same time, the new armored personnel carriers were delivered to the Law Enforcement Police and the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC)'s Ground Force. 

Iran unveiled the Toofan (Storm, Hurricane), a new mine-resistant, ambush-protected (MRAP) personnel carrier manufactured by the Defense Industries Organization (DIO) (Picture source: Tehran Times)

Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami elaborated on the features of the new MRAP vehicle: "Toofan is a 4x4 vehicle resisting against blasts resulting from the explosion of several kilograms of TNT and layers of protection against different steel-core bullets, mine explosion, booby-traps, IEDs."

He added that the vehicle can move through water channels 1.5 meters deep as well as vertical obstacles; it can carry 10 personnel and is able to travel at the speed of 50km with flat tires. General Hatami said that machine guns or missile launchers can be mounted on the personnel-carrier, adding that it is also equipped with ballistic protection and vents to fire from the hull. Toofan can travel at the maximum speed of 100km/h.

Iranian military experts and technicians have in recent years made great headways in manufacturing a broad range of indigenous equipment, making the armed forces self-sufficient in the arms sphere.

In February 2018, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei called for efforts to maintain and boost Iran’s defense capabilities, hitting back at the enemies for disputing the country’s missile program.